Loop cutting attachment for circular spring beard knitting machines



J1me 1930- L. F. MCKENNA ET AL 1,767,687

LOOP CUTTING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR SPRING BEARD KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 19, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l v Q INVENTORSZ LflWREA/CE f7 MC/fE/V/WY. Jowv J Mc///v/v/7. 1 we} June 24, 1930. L. F. M KENNA ET AL 1,767,687 LOOP CUTTING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR SPRING BEARD KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 19, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I h.

June 24, 1930. F. M KENNA ET AL NG MACHINES LOOP CUTTING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR SPRING BEARD KNITTI 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 19, 1929 A Patented June 24, 1930 uNirE: sures tic LAWRENCE F. MoKENNi-i AND JOHN J. MOKENNA,

F ABINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA Application filed August 19, 1929. Serial No. 386,764.

()ur invention relates to a new and useful loop cutting attachment for circular spring oeard knitting machines of the general character disclosed in Patent No. 160,684,

whereby the loops formed on the surface of the fabric are neatly and accurately cut to form a pile or nap simulating the effect of plush, chenille, or natural fur, without increasing the cost of production of the goods.

Our invention further relates to a novel loop cutting attachment of this character which is adjustable, and one which produces maximum efficiency in operation.

Our invention still further relates to a novel loop cutting attachment which is provided with two cutters revoluble in different directions, simultaneously or independently of each other.

Our invention still further relates to a novel loop cutting attachment which is provided with safety devices to prevent cutting or damaging of the fabric whose loops are to be cut, in the event of any trouble in' the knitting machine.

To the above ends, our invention consists of cutters, means for revolving one or both of said cutters independently or simultaneously and in different directions, means for yieldably retaining said cutters against the fabric, the loops of which are to be cut, and means for adjusting the relative position and angular disposition of said cutters with respect to the needle cylinder. of

the knitting machine and the plane of the fabric whose loops are being out.

Our invention still further relates to various other novel features of construction and advantage, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

For the purpose of illustrating our invention we have shown in the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are at present preferred by us, since the same have been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which our invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that our invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1, represents a fragmentary plan view of a circular spring beard knitting machine provided with a novel loop cutting attachment embodying our invention.

Fig. 2, represents, on an enlarged scale, a perspective view of our novel loop cutting attachment.

Fig. 3, represents a plan View of our novel loop cutting attachment shown detached.

Fig. 4 represents, on an enlarged scale, a perspective view of our novel loop cutting attachment, certain parts being shown in section.

Fig. 5, represents a View similar to Fig. 4. showing a modified form of our invention.

Fig. 6, represents a rear elevation of the head of loop forming wheels shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 represents a front elevation of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8, represents a section on line 88 of Fig.

Fig. 9, represents an elevation of one of the blades of the loop forming wheels shown in Figs. 6 and 7 10, represents a perspective View of the fillers interspersed between the blades shown in Fig. 9..

Fig. 11, represents diagrammatically a section of the fabric produced by the knitting machine shown in Fig. 1, before the loops are cut.

Fig. 12, represents a view similar to Fig. 11, after the loops have been cut.

Fig. 13, represents a plan view of Fig. 12.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts, and with particular relation to Fig. 1, 1 designates a circular spring beard knitting machine of the general construction disclosed in Patent No. 160,684, comprising the inner and outer frame members 2 and 3 and the intermediate needle cylinder 4 which revolves in the direction of the arrow 6. A push down 7 and a clearing wheel 8 act upon the needle cylinder 4 in the usual manner while the block stitch knitting wheels 9 and 10 form the loop stitches 11 (see Fig. 11)

from the loop threads 12 and 18. 14 designates a binder thread which is fed under the beards of the needles by the guide designates a push down which serves to press the previously completed course downwardly while the course being knitted reaches the dividing wheel 17 in advance of the knitting wheel 18 which knits the thread 19 to form the body of the fabric of what is commonly known as the Jersey stitch, which is knitted with the binder stitch formed by the binder taread 14 by the action of the guide and the dividing wheel 17. 2O designates a presser under which the completed fabric shown diagrammatically in Figf11 passes before reaching the loop cutting attachment shown at the left hand portion of Fig. 1 and in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, hereinafter referred to. The fabric then passes under the landing wheel 21 which raises the lower edge of the knitted fabric while the presser closes the beards of the needles 4. The knocking wheel 22 then throws the loops forming the lower edge of the knitted fabric clear of the needles 4 to form a new course.

Referring to Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive, the loop forming block stitch wheels 9 and 10 are provided with the blades 25 which are interspersed with the fillers 26 whereby the size of the loops 11 formed by said wheels may be regulated. Thus, if it is desired to form a relatively small loop 11, every other oralternate filler 26 is omitted from between the adjacent blades 25. If, on the other hand, a large loop is desired, every second, third, or fourth filler 26 is omitted, thereby producing loops 11 of correspondin ly increasing lengths, it being understood that no loops are formed when none of the fillers 26 are omitted.

Referring to the left hand portion of Fig. 1, and to Figs. 2, 3, and 4, I have illustrated a novel loop cutting attachment which is supported on a base 27 suitably secured to the front frame or table 3 of the knitting machine, and in which are threaded the adjustment studs 28 which serve to incline the cutter support 29 to any desired angle and which will be hereinafter further referred to. The cutter support 29 is held in the desired adjusted position by the bolt 30 and the nut 31, as will be understood from Fig. 3. 32 designates a supporting post which has a flange 33 through which passes the screw or bolt 34, whereby said supporting post is pivoted to the adjustable support 29. The stem 32 is provided with the upper bifurcated arms 35 which form a U-shaped construction and the upper ends of which form bearings 86 for the shaft 37 which carries the pinion 38 which meshes with the gear 39 fast on the stud shaft 40 and held by the screw 41. The stud shaft 40 also carries the lower gear 45, which meshes with and is driven by needle cylinder 4. The shaft 37 passes through an outer sleeve 46 which carries the pinion 4'7, which meshes itl' the gear 39 and serves to drive the cutter 48, the contiguous cutter 49 being mounted on and driven by the shaft 87. 50 designates screw bearing on the rod 50, which carries the guide whereby the guide or wiper 51 may be adjusted, the latter serving to press the fabric downwardly to bring the loops 11 into the path of the cutters. The cutters 48 and 49 are retained in position by the lock nuts which bear on the'spring washer whereby the cutters are held together undo-r the requisite tension. 53 designates a spring which may be adjusted by the bolt 54 and nut 57 and which serves yieldably to retain the loop cutting mechanism against the needle cylinder while the loops are being cut. 58 designates a press roll which holds the fabric in position while the loops are bein cut by the cutters 48 and 49, as will be understood from Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to Fig. 5, 1 have shown a inoditied construction wherein the inner-cutten 48 is renderec idle by the omission of the 47 on the shaft 46, and the addition of the set screw 59, the rest of the construction in this Fig. 5 being identical with that shown in Figs. 2, S, and 4.

The operation is as follows, the general loop cutting operation being disclosed in Patent No. 605,873, over which our present invention is an improvement:

The loops 11 (shown in Fig. 11) are iirst knitted by the block knitting wheels 9 and 10 from the threads 12 and The binder thread 14 is then fed by the guide 15 and the web thus formed is pressed by the push down 16 and the divider wheel 17 then regulates the size of the stitch be formed from binder thread 14, being possible to adjust the size of said stitch by adjusting the positions of the wheel 17 with reference to the needles 4. With the binder stitch is knitted a Jersey stitch, which is formed by the knitting wheel 18 from the thread 19, and the completed fabric new passes under the presser 20. The landing wheel raises the work to the upper edge of the needles 4, and the knocking wheel 22 throws the loops off the needles so that a new course may be formed. The completed course thus thrown oil, the needies then under the guide or wiper 51 which serves to press the fabric, the loops of which are to be cut, against the cutter blades 48 and 49, the teeth 60 of which engage and cut the loops 11 to produce the product snown in Fig. 12. If a jam or other disarrangeinent occurs in the knitting operation, so that the normal cutting of the loops is interfered with, the cutter blades 48 and 49 "end to yield against the pressure of the adjustable sprin 58, which acts as a safeguard against cutting of the fabric proper.

By means of the novel construction seen in Figs. 2 and 4, including the adjustment studs 28, we are enabled to control and regulate the angular disposition of our novel loop cutting attachment with regard to the needles 4 of the knitting machines, as well as with respect to the fabric whose loops 11 are being cut, to produce maximum efiiciency of operation.

By the novel arrangement of the gears 39, pinions 28 and 47, and shafts 87 and 46, we are enabled to drive the cutters 48 and 49 in difierent directions, and by omission of either of the pinions 38 and 47 we are enabled to render stationary one or the other of the cutters 48 and 49 as may be desired, depending on the nature of the fabric and the number of loops to be out.

It will be understood that in our invention the loop cutting mechanism should be arranged so that a loop will be divided at or near its middle, so as to produce at each end of the severed loops a series of standing threads 57 in the finished fabric 58, seen in Fig. 12, that will be practically of uniform lengths, thereby producing a plushlike surface on the goods without increasing the cost of production.

We are aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and we therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description toindicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character stated, a horizontally adjustable cutter support, means for adjusting the angular disposition of said support, a pair of cutters carried by said support, a press roll coacting with said cutters, and means for simultaneously rotating said cutters independently and in different directions.

2. In a device of the character stated, a horizontally adjustable cutter support, means for adjusting the angular disposition of said support, a pair of cutters carried by said support, a press roll coacting with said cutters, means for simultaneously rotating said cutters independently and in difierent directions, a tension device bearing on the outer of said cutters, and lock nuts for varying the tension thereof.

3. In a device of the character stated, a horizontally adjustable cutter support, means for adjusting the angular disposition of said support, a pair of cutters carried by said support, a press roll coacting with said cutters, means for simultaneously rotating said cutters independently and in different directions, a tension device bearing on the outer of said cutters, lock nuts for varying the tension thereof, and means resiliently 70 pressing said cutter support inwardly.

4. In a device of the character stated,

a stationary table, a base mounted thereon,

a bolt having its head loosely seated in said table and passing loosely through said base, studs threaded into said table and having ends engaging the bottom of said base for adjusting the angular position of the latter, a post mounted on said base and having upwardly extending arms terminating in bearings, a substantially horizontally disposed shaft mounted in said bearings, an upright shaft mounted in said post and carrying a lower gear, an upper bevel gear on said upright shaft, a bevel pinion on said 1r horizontally disposed shaft meshing with said upper bevel gear, a sleeve rotatably mounted in one of said bearings, through which said horizontal shaft passes, a bevel pinion on the inner end of said sleeve meshing with said bevel gear, a cutter mounted on the outer end of said sleeve, and a contiguous outer cutter mounted on the outer end of said horizontal shaft.

5. In a device of the character stated, a "9'5 stationary table, a base mounted thereon, a bolt having its head loosely seated in said table and passing loosely through said base, studs threaded into said table and having ends engaging the bottom of said base for 1 adjusting the angular position of the latter, a post mounted on said base and having upwardly extending arms terminating in bearings, a substantially horizontally disposed shaft mounted in said bearings, an upright shaft mounted in said post and carrying a lower gear, an upper bevel gear on said upright shaft, a bevel pinion on said horizontally disposed shaft meshing with said upper bevel gear, a sleeve rotatably mounted 2 2 in one of said bearings, through which said horizontal shaft passes, a bevel pinion on the inner end of said sleeve meshing with said bevel gear, a cutter mounted on the outer end of said sleeve, a contiguous outer i1 5 cutter mounted on the outer end of said horizontal shaft, a tension device bearing on said outer cutter, and lock nuts on the outer end of said upper shaft for adjusting said tension device.

6. In a device of the character stated, a stationary table, a base mounted thereon, a bolt having its head loosely seated in said table and passing loosely through said base, studs threaded into said table and having ends engaging the bottom of said base for adjusting the angular positionof the latter, a post mounted on said base and having upwardly extending arms terminating in bearings, a substantially horizontally disposed 1'30 shaft mounted in said bearings, an upright shaft mounted in said post and carrying a lower gear, an upper bevel gear on said upright shaft, a bevel pinion on said horizontally disposed shaftcmeshing with said up per bevel gear, a sleeve rotatably mounted in one of said bearings, through which said horizontal shaft passes, a bevel pinion on the inner 'end of said sleeve meshing with said bevel gear, a cutter mounted on the outer end of said sleeve, a contiguous outer cutter mounted on the outer end of said horizontal shaft, and means for resiliently pressing said cutters inwardly.

7. In a knitting machine, the combination of a knitting cylinder, a guide held in a stationary position and bearing upon the line of the needles of said cylinder, and a loop cutting mechanism provided with a plurality of revoluble outer and inner cutters operated simultaneously in opposite directions by the knitting cylinder, said loop cutting mechanism being arranged to sever the loops at the middle thereof.

8. In a loop cutting mechanism, the combination of inner and outer rotary cutters provided with a series of peripheral cutting teeth adapted to engage successively in the loops formed by the knitting machine, a sleeve carrying one of said cutters, a shaft passing through said sleeve and carrying the other cutter, means for actuating the shaft and sleeve of said rotary cutters simultaneouslyin opposite directions to effect the cutting of the loops at, or near, the middle of the latter, a tension device bearing on the outer cutter for maintaining said cutters in facial contact, and lock nuts for adjusting said tension device.

LAVRENCE F. MoKENNA. JOHN J. MOKENNA. 

